Key Safety Tips for Flood Readiness

With the spring thaw in full-swing and predictions of more flooding across North Dakota, it's time to make sure your family, community and business is prepared. The North Dakota Safety Council offers these key tips for flood readiness from the Center for Disease Control:

• Learn about your community's emergency plans, warning signals, evacuation routes, and locations of emergency shelters.
• Plan and practice a flood evacuation route with your family. Ask a relative or friend to be the "family contact" in case your family is separated during a flood. Make sure everyone in your family knows the name, address, and phone number of this contact person.
• Post emergency phone numbers at every phone.
• Inform local authorities about any special needs, i.e., elderly or bedridden people, or anyone with a disability.
• Identify potential home hazards and know how to secure or protect them before the flood strikes. Be prepared to turn off electrical power when there is standing water, fallen power lines, or before you evacuate. Turn off gas and water supplies before you evacuate. Secure structurally unstable building materials.
• Buy a fire extinguisher and make sure your family knows where it is and how to use it. 
• Buy and install sump pumps with back-up power.
• Have a licensed electrician raise electric components (switches, sockets, circuit breakers and wiring) at least 12" above your home's projected flood elevation.
• For drains, toilets, and other sewer connections, install backflow valves or plugs to prevent floodwaters from entering.
• Anchor fuel tanks which can contaminate your basement if torn free. An unanchored tank outside can be swept downstream and damage other houses.

Click here for more information from the CDC including:
- What to do if you are under a flood watch or warning
- Emergency supplies you will need
- How to prepare for evacuation

- What to do if you are ordered to evacuate
- What to do if you're NOT ordered to evacuate

Free Work Zone Safety Training
Online & in the classroom

The North Dakota Safety Council (NDSC) and Associated General Contractors of North Dakota (AGC of ND) have partnered to provide comprehensive  work zone safety training courses, available online and in the classroom, to help reduce injuries and fatalities endured in work zones.
 
The next course being offered is Emergency Preparedness for Remote Work Zones. The course will be held in Minot on March 22 from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm at the Holiday Inn. This course involves hands-on training to prepare construction workers and supervisors how to handle an emergency in a remote work zone. To register for this course, call the NDSC at 701-223-6372 or 800-932-8890. Class sizes are limited so register early.
 
Another free course, Flagger Training, is available online for the convenience of companies across the state. The Flagger Training course is approved by the Department of Transportation and is recommended for any persons required to perform flagger duties and persons involved in the direct/indirect supervision of flaggers in North Dakota. The course can be found on the NDSC's website at www.ndsc.org; the AGC's website at www.agcnd.org; or directly accessed at www.ndflaggertraining.com. Those in the flagging industry can watch a video or read a handbook, then take a quiz and print a certificate upon passing.
 
This flagger training course was originally developed by the AGC of ND. With the assistance of the NDSC, the course has been made available online for ease of use and accessibility to all. The NDSC received an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Susan Harwood Training Grant of $126,204, to be used over the next two years, specifically to provide this, and other free Work Zone training. Other free training offered includes: Traffic Control for Supervisors, Traffic Control for Construction Workers and Emergency Preparedness in Remote Work Zones

• Flagger Training – available online at www.ndflaggertraining.com
• Traffic Control for Supervisors – available upon request as a private class for your company
• Traffic Control for Construction Workers – April 6
• Emergency Preparedness for Remote Work Zones – March 22 & April 7
• Work Zone Safety - April 20

To learn more about the course curriculums, click on each link above. For questions or to register for these free trainings, call the NDSC at 701-223-6372. All scheduled classes above are also available as private classes for your company. Call to request a date.

This free training was made possible through a Susan Harwood Grant from the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Administration and the support of the Associated General Contractors of ND. This material was produced under grant SH-19504-SH9 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

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Mine Foreman Certification

The North Dakota Safety Council is now offering Mine Foreman Certification testing at their new Beulah office. This location allows for a quicker, more convenient way for people in central and western North Dakota to complete their testing. Students may take their test, have it graded and receive their certificate all the same day.

To be a supervisor on a coal mine site, and to do an on-shift inspection, individuals must take the Mine Foreman Certification exam and pass with an 80% to be certified. To take the exam, individuals should contact the North Dakota Safety Council to set up a date and time. The exam is offered at no charge. For those who feel they need Mine Foreman Certification training prior to taking the exam, there is a course offered by the North Dakota Safety Council. Click here to find the next class in your area.

With the current status of the oil industry in the western part of the state and the large presence of power plants and coal mines in this area, the Beulah office provides an additional, convenient location for those who need training services. The new office is located at 213 Highway 49 South and is open from 8:00 am-5:00 pm MTD.

To inquire about the Mine Foreman Certification training or test, contact the NDSC's Beulah office by phone at 701-873-2224 or by email at ndsc@ndsc.org. You can also log on to www.ndsc.org to view our online training calendar to find training dates and locations in your area.